For the Movement under Bush, the 9/11 attacks gave the greenlight to pervasive radicalization and looting. Lacking that, Wisconsin Governor Walker fabricated a budget crisis. He didn’t burn down the legislature. Same results either way: radicalization, de-stabilization and wealth transfer. The Wisconsin status quo, like the hapless Colin Powell, Benchpresser, Wilkerson et al., are caught flat footed, unprepared, blinking.

Personal views of Governor Walker aside, one can’t say he’s a stealth candidate. He made commitments a visible part of his campaign. He promised to slash government radically. To grant massive tax cuts to corporations. Somehow generate new jobs without spending an extra dime. Walker once elected to make even a gesture to his agenda would have to start by breaking existing, signed state contracts, prevent any further Amtrak funding, etc.

Launching his agenda serves larger national goals, too. De-stabilizing and radicalizing the status quo allows the naturally prepared agents of de-stabilization to market themselves as the defenders of law and order. The roused status quo painted as divisive. And on cue Fox, etc. start the violence memes, etc. We’ve already lived through this show, Dear Reader. We all saw 2001-2008 how radicalism leads to de-stabilization which opens sluice gates for other — in this case — plutocratic interests. We all also know Act III of the script: the smirking governing entity proclaims the sinking floor our new normal.

How can Democrats both in Wisconsin and especially nationally be so surprised? Didn’t everyone say at the time November 2010 would be felt most at the state level? Christie reminded AEI this week he dragged New Jersey down this same road *last year.* We get stunned Democrats playing meme defense, and MSNBC pandering, both badly. Again.

Obama’s comments on Wisconsin today put things in perspective. Thank goodness in 2012 we will be able to choose between two Republicans. Can you imagine the feebleness of an actual Democratic campaign?

When Conrad Black was getting in trouble and his close friend/employee was in deep with many of Hollinger’s most piquant practices – Perle managed to act as if he barely knew Black when it all fell apart. Kind of like when he acted as if he had been totally ignored re Iraq/Chalabi.

Forgot to mention – the reason we posted the link to Cohen via MY – we thought Cohen reciting his bona fides was sort of funny, just like when he recited his bona fides of funniness when defending Dubya against Colbert’s “bullying.”

Can’t wait for this entitled columnist set to be retired by technology.

We don’t care what she thinks – we sort of said that. Just used this as an example of a long running conversation here about how liberals in the mainstream media cannot communicate properly – So they often end up elevating charlatans and lightweights. That was just a small example and to be honest we sort of regretted reading it and posting it.

re Obama’s trouble – labor provides critical GOTV on election day. Dems cannot even come close to winning without official labor support. Labor usually loses and plays along – but if he really alienated labor on an issue of principle like the right to organize, he’d be toast. Labor would then be crushes accross the land and you’d have wage reduction instead of stagnation.

Thank goodness in 2012 we will be able to choose between two Republicans.

This about sums it up. The only way the working stiffs will get a shot at real change is if they take it to the streets in mass protests . . . that is unless they get shot first by Tea Party militias. For me the question is whether the governing class and their plutocrat allies have so effectively bamboozled and divided the working stiffs that meaningful, organized protest is impossible.

The protests in Wisconsin offer a small glimmer of hope. But I think the only way that this country will change for the better for ordinary Americans is with protests (and possibly riots) on a Vietnam War protest scale. But if it didn’t happen in 2008, when it was obvious Wall Street was raping us with t he connivance of both parties, then when? When the oligarchs have taken everything away from us? That’s where I think we’re headed, 3rd World Merika.

Earlier on msnbc the somewhat smarmy Ratigan standin Matt Miller was doing all he could (and failing) to hide his contempt for the protesters cause. Same with Tweety – Both sought to praise the protesters, but only at the expense of their cause. The “we’re broke” theme has caught on – even though it’s a political decision not to raise taxes or cut other departments of gov.
The bad faith is so obvious – it’s a power struggle being masked as a fight over budget and union rules. No endgame, it seems – Obama just wishes this would all go away – but if labor turns against him next year he’ll be in deep trouble.